Amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, United States President, Donald Trump, has issued a stern warning to Iran’s armed forces, demanding they lay down their weapons or face what he described as “certain death.”
In a video message posted on social media, Trump defended recent U.S. military actions against Iran and outlined what he called a broader strategy to neutralize threats posed by the Iranian regime.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating eminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump declared, describing Iran as “a vicious group of very hard, terrible people” whose activities “directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.”
Citing Decades of Hostility
The President traced the tensions between both nations back several decades, referencing key flashpoints in U.S.-Iran relations.
He cited the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution, the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, and what he described as a long history of attacks on American military personnel and naval vessels.
“It’s been mass terror and we’re not going to put up with it any longer,” Trump said, pointing to the activities of Iranian-backed militias operating across the Middle East, from Lebanon to Yemen.
He also accused Iran of playing a role in the October 7 attacks on Israel, which he said resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 civilians, including 46 Americans.
“It was brutal, something like the world has never seen before,” he stated.
Nuclear Ambitions and Operation Midnight Hammer
Central to Trump’s address was the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme. The President reiterated Washington’s determination to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
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He referenced what he called “Operation Midnight Hammer” carried out last June, claiming that U.S. forces had “obliterated the regime’s nuclear program” at the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities.
Trump accused Iranian authorities of repeatedly rejecting diplomatic opportunities to renounce their nuclear ambitions.
“Just imagine how emboldened this regime would be if they ever had and actually were armed with nuclear weapons,” he warned.
Military Campaign and Direct Warning
Detailing ongoing operations, Trump said the United States would continue targeting Iran’s military infrastructure.
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground. We are going to annihilate their navy. We are going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world,” he said.
Addressing American troops directly, Trump acknowledged the potential cost of the military campaign.
“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties,” he said. “But we’re doing this not for now, we’re doing this for the future and it is a noble mission.”
He added that prayers were being offered for U.S. service members risking their lives “to ensure that Americans and our children will never be threatened by a nuclear armed Iran.”
In a direct message to Iranian forces, the President delivered an ultimatum: “You must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity. Or in the alternative, face certain death.”
Message to the Iranian People
Trump also addressed the Iranian populace, urging them to seek political change.
“America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force,” he said. “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.”
He concluded his remarks with a traditional blessing: “May God bless the brave men and women of America’s armed forces, may God bless the United States of America, may God bless you all.”